Take Me Home
by risingdancer
Summary: CJ. After PD2. Clarisse and Joseph are very happy with their new marriage. Mia and Nicholas decide to get married. But the Viscount still doesn't want Nicholas to marry Mia. So he comes up with a plan to try to stop the wedding...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"There has to be a way to stop that wedding." Viscount Arthur Mabrey thought as he sat in his prison cell, which was located on the outskirts of Genovia. He never cared about how anything affected his nephew, Nicholas. All he thought about was himself and getting the royal crown, which is now in the hands of Mia Thermopolis Renaldi.

"I need a plan." He thought while sitting on the cot in the corner of the cement and dull looking cell. "Maybe if I take away the one thing Mia cares about most… maybe it will show her something. Well of course it can't be Nicholas… even though it would for sure stop the wedding. No, it would be to hard. I need something better…."

His thoughts moved away from his plan and back to the day he was arrested. It was the day Mia was supposed to marry Andrew Jacoby, but backed out with the encouragement of her grandmother Clarisse, who told her to follow her heart. Andrew was not Mia's true love. Then Mia told Clarisse that even though she didn't get her fairytale ending, it didn't mean that Clarisse couldn't either. Clarisse knew exactly what Mia meant. That day, Clarisse and Joseph got married. Which made Arthur boiling mad because he didn't think they deserved it after what happened to him.

Arthur came back to reality. He got up and crossed the room looking at the barred window. He figured out what Mia cared about most:

Clarisse.

"I think it's time to use my one call. To phone my old friend Doug." Arthur said quietly.

* * *

Back at the palace Clarisse and Joseph were just waking up. Clarisse slowly opened her eyes and saw the bright morning sun rising. Then she looked up at her husband, only to find that he had been looking at her the whole time.

"Good morning Darling, did you sleep well?" She asked sleepily.

Joseph put his arm around her. "Yes, I slept fine thank you." Clarisse rested her head on his chest. She always felt the safest in his arms. And there was no place she would rather be.

"So shall we get up?" Joseph said, accidentally ruining the moment.

"I guess so…" Clarisse said sadly. I have some paperwork do to for parliament anyways.

"Shouldn't Mia be doing that now?" Joseph asked.

"Well yes, but she has only been queen for a few days and I need to help her. She is the new queen of my country after all, and I want things to go as well as they possibly can."

"Alright let's get up." Joseph said as her kissed her forehead and got out of bed.

After they changed, they walked downstairs, hand in hand, to the kitchen. As they entered they were greeted by Mia and Nicholas. "Good morning Grandma! Good morning Joe!" Mia said when she saw them coming into the kitchen. She looked at her grandmother and Joe holding hands. She could tell they loved each other. Even just by the way they look into each other's eyes.

"Mia you're up early today. I think you are getting the hang of being a real queen." Clarisse joked. Joseph knew that Clarisse was relieved that Mia was able to keep the Renaldi bloodline to continue ruling Genovia, but he could see in her eyes that she was sad not to be Queen anymore. Clarisse had devoted her life to Genovia for over thirty years. She even thought of Genovia before herself. Including her love life. After her first husband King Rupert died, whom she never really loved because it had been an arranged marriage, she and Joseph realized what they felt for each other. They had to put their feelings aside because first of all, Joseph was Clarisse's bodyguard, and, because Clarisse had to concentrate on Genovia.

"Well, I couldn't sleep." Mia said with a smile. "There is far too much to plan and do before the wedding. I didn't even pick out the perfect dress yet!"

"Don't worry, you will find it eventually." Clarisse said encouragingly. Just then one of the Palace's chefs came up to them. "Would you like anything to eat?" They all ordered their breakfasts and talked for a long time.

Joseph looked at his watch. It was almost lunchtime. "Clarisse needs to take a break. She is overworking and could have a breakdown or something." He thought to himself. He surely didn't want anything to happen to her. So he decided to go to her office.

"Clarisse my dear," Joseph said as he walked into her office. "I think it's time you take a break. You need to eat something and get some fresh air."

Clarisse looked up from her paperwork and smiled at the sound of Joseph's voice. "I'll take a break in a few minutes." Clarisse said, and looked back down and started working again.

"You have been working nonstop all day, you should try to relax and get some lunch." Joseph said as he walked over to her side of the desk. He took the pen out of her hand, placed it on the desk, and helped her out of her seat. No matter how much Clarisse wanted to protest, she couldn't. Though they were married now, she still couldn't help but feel shy when Joseph was close to her. Also, she didn't want to argue with him.

After Clarisse and Joseph had lunch together on the patio they went for a walk around the gardens. The flowers were in bloom, and the weather was perfect for going for a walk. When they got to the center of the garden, Clarisse sat down on a bench across from the fountain that Mia and Nicholas fell into three months before. Joseph sat down beside her and held her hands in his. Even with his slightest touch, Clarisse always felt safe and comforted. Joseph felt Clarisse relax for the first time during her break. He stared into her eyes lovingly. Their eyes were locked in a gaze for what felt like an hour.

Still holding Clarisse's hands, Joseph said "I love you so much. I never knew I could love anyone as much as I love you."

Clarisse smiled softly and said "And I love you. Even more than I loved Rupert. He was my best friend, but you can't find true love in an arranged marriage."

Joseph let go of her hands and wrapped his arms gently around her waist, pulling her closer. Clarisse put her arms around his neck and gazed into his dark brown eyes. He saw passion in her warm blue eyes. He felt like he could never look away. They leaned closer to each other. Close enough that they could feel each other's heartbeat. Joseph kissed Clarisse lightly on the lips. She kissed him back, deepening the kiss very slightly, savoring the moment. As the kiss grew stronger, Joseph rubbed Clarisse's back slowly and softly. Neither one wanted this moment to end.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Charlotte, have you seen Grandma?" Mia asked after searching for ten minutes. "I can't find her anywhere in the palace."

"Did you try the back garden? It is her favourite place to go and think." Charlotte answered.

"Well, I walked by it…" Mia said. "I didn't go in, but I didn't see anyone there. Maybe I should go look again?"

"Good idea." Charlotte said brightly.

Mia walked into the gardens, but there was no sign of her grandmother. She remembered the hidden area near the back of the garden. It was surrounded by tall hedges, and had a beautiful fountain right in the middle of it. She couldn't help but giggle at the thought of the fountain. "Grandma?" Mia asked as she walked through the maze of hedges, getting closer to the fountain area.

Startled, Clarisse and Joseph stopped kissing, but couldn't break apart from each other. Mia's head popped out from behind a hedge. She saw Joseph and Clarisse's arms around each other, sitting very close to one another, and Clarisse was slightly blushing.

"I'm so sorry!" Cried Mia. "I hope I'm not disturbing anything."

"No, no, of course not." Clarisse said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Was there something you wanted dear?" She and Joseph pulled apart.

"Well, I was just wondering if you could come with me to pick out a wedding dress." Mia said looking down. She was embarrassed by her unwanted presence.

"Oh, well I have a lot of work…" Clarisse started to say, but was cut off by Joseph.

"Clarisse would be delighted to join you." Joseph said as he took Clarisse's hand encouragingly. He smiled at Clarisse. She couldn't do anything except give in to that. "Alright Mia. We can go in about ten minutes. I have to get ready."

"Cool, I'll go get ready then." Mia said as she turned quickly and left. As she walked back to the palace she smiled to herself. "Awww. Grandma and Joe look so cute together." She thought.

Back at the fountain area, Clarisse started to follow Mia, but Joseph caught her by the waist and pulled her back to him. "You aren't leaving until I get another kiss." He whispered in her ear. Clarisse smiled and slowly kissed him on the lips. He kissed her back and they stayed like that for a few moments until Clarisse pulled away slightly. "I mustn't keep Mia waiting. I promise we can continue later." She whispered softly.

"Promise?" Joseph said as he hugged her tightly.

"Yes. I promise." Clarisse said and they walked back to the palace together.

Clarisse was in her suite getting ready to go to Pyrus with Mia. As she was fixing her already perfectly applied make-up, she heard a knock on the door. Clarisse smoothed her skirt and said "Come in." Joseph walked in. Clarisse smiled, but it quickly faded when she saw that something was wrong. "Joseph?" Her expression changed to concern. She walked over to him and placed her hand on his cheek. "What's wrong?" Joseph motioned for them to sit on the couch. He held her hands, tighter than usual.

"I have a bad feeling that something bad might happen today." Perhaps I should go with you and Mia." Joseph said quietly.

"Oh, Joseph," Clarisse replied sadly. "It's just Mia and I going out today. We hardly ever have time to spend together. It is like a mother-daughter thing…well, grandmother-granddaughter thing in this case. But I am positive that nothing will happen. Everything will be fine. What could possibly happen?"

"I don't know." Joseph replied.

"Oh, Darling, come here." Clarisse said as she hugged him tightly. "Don't worry." She tried her best to comfort him, but it was no use. He hugged her back, yet not the least bit less nervous. He kissed her goodbye and left their suite.

As Joseph walked down the hall he tried to relax a little. Why was he so nervous about Mia and Clarisse going into the town?

Clarisse and Mia had decided to go to Pyrus in Mia's convertible.

"This sort of reminds me of the time we went out in my convertible so you could see San Francisco." Mia said.

"Only this time the car won't crash." Clarisse joked.

"So where are the best bridal stores in Pyrus?" Mia asked.

"To be honest I don't know. I think they would be on the main street somewhere." Clarisse answered.

"Okay, we'll go there first then. I'm so excited! Mia exclaimed.

Back at the palace Joseph was worried sick. He hadn't been able to relax from the minute Mia and Clarisse had left. The last time Mia and Clarisse went out without any security, they had been in the same convertible as they were in today. The car was poorly made and it slid down a steep hill and crashed into a trolley. Thank God they had been okay. The car was fixed now, so why was he so nervous?

"Joe," Charlotte said with a concerned look. "I think you'd better see this." Shades, the new head of security and Nicholas were there too. Charlotte turned on the television and a news report came on. Joseph's heart skipped a beat when he saw what was on the screen. Arthur Mabrey had escaped.

"It seems as though he had outside help to escape." He got a hold of a copy of the prison door keys and somehow got passed all of the guards and security systems." The reporter announced.

"Who would want to help someone like him?" Joseph asked, knowing that no one could provide the answer. They kept listening.

"Apparently he is not at his home. He is hiding out somewhere. Perhaps with the person who helped him escape." The reporter continued.

When the news report had finished, Joseph wondered if this was what had been bothering him all day. Charlotte turned off the television.

Joseph turned to Nicholas. "Why do you think he escaped?"

"My guess would be to try to take revenge on me? He was very angry with me the last time I saw him…because of Mia and I getting married after her coronation." Nicholas said. "You don't suppose he would go after Mia do you?" Nicholas asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure." Joseph responded. He thought back to the day Viscount Mabrey was arrested. He clearly remembered the horrible look he gave Mia, Nicholas, AND Clarisse. "Shades, get a few of your best security guards, and meet Nicholas and I outside. Make sure no one finds out anything about this. Or it will be all over the news. All of the media will make it too hard to find anything."

"Are you saying that you are sure something happened to Mia?" Nicholas asked.

"No, I am saying that if anything does happen, this media will make it impossible to deal with." Joseph said.

When Nicholas, Joseph, Shades, and a few other security guards were in the limo, Joseph asked "Where do suppose Clarisse and Mia went Nicholas?"

"They are in one of the bridal stores in Pyrus. How many are there?" Nicholas replied.

"Quite a few I think, but we have to go to all of them." Joseph said.

They went from store to store but there was no sign of Mia or Clarisse. After about ten minutes Nicholas practically screamed "There is Mia! Sitting at a table in that café over there!" He breathed a sigh of relief.

Joseph looked towards the direction of where he was pointing. He certainly did see Mia, but…"Where is Clarisse?"

Nicholas, Joseph, Shades, and the security guards went up to Mia's table.

"Hey everyone!" Mia said when she saw them. Nicholas kissed her and then took a seat beside her.

"Mia, where is Clarisse?" Joseph asked hesitantly.

"She went to the book store around the corner. I didn't really feel like going, but she said she just wanted to look around for about ten minutes." Mia said before taking a sip of her coffee.

"And how long ago did Clarisse leave?" Joseph asked, trying to sound calm.

Mia looked at her watch. "Actually, it has been a little over twenty minutes." Then Mia looked at Nicholas, Joseph, and the security guards, wondering why they were even there. "Why, what's wrong?"


	3. Chapter 3

_I'd like to thank Kelsea Scarlett for this chapter. That very long e-mail had made this chapter ten times better!_

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Clarisse put down the book she was looking at in the bookstore. She had only been there five minutes, but decided it was time to go and meet Mia back at the café. She could hardly see as she walked out of the bookstore because of the bright sunlight. She smiled into the clear sky, walking slowly towards the café. She hardly ever was given the opportunity to enjoy the weather, with all the time she spent with her paperwork! It was good to be out and about; Mia was really helping her branch out in life. She never would have roamed the streets alone before this, and, she had to admit, it felt nice not to be surrounded by armed guards. She felt free.

Suddenly, a young boy on a bicycle came tearing down the sidewalk. Clarisse jumped out of the way, holding her hand over her wildly thumping heart as she watched the bike zoom by, and the young boy saying sorry over his shoulder as he passed by. She could only thank God she hadn't been hit. Her breathing steadied, and she prepared to step out of the alleyway she had used to clear the path. But seemingly out of nowhere, she felt a great deal of weight surround her, strong arms holding her struggling frame and a large hand firmly clasped over her protesting mouth. A sinking sensation filled her stomach. Her captor dragged her into the back of the dark alley.

Her senses were weakening. All she could feel was a hard, cold fear enveloping her soul and the force of the man behind her. She fought to maintain even breathing, unsuccessfully straining against the powerful force with all her might. The man pinned Clarisse against the hard, brick wall and cornered her so she couldn't get away. When she saw who the man was, she almost fainted. It was Viscount Mabrey. Before he took his hand off her mouth he said "If you scream, I'll be forced to take drastic measures."

Clarisse obeyed. She was so scared, that she was shaking and almost in tears_. "I wish I_ _had let Joseph come with Mia and I today. He would have protected me. But now it's too late, and he is miles away at the palace, with no idea what is happening to me."_ She thought to herself. _"Dear Joseph, he's always been there for me…And he will be now…eventually. I hope Mia figures out I'm not at the bookstore soon."_

"What do you want with me?" Her voice wavered. She breathed deeply several times in an attempt to appear composed.

"Oh, not much." Mabrey said calmly. "I just wanted to thank you for all of the humiliation you and your dreadful granddaughter have cost me."

"There is nothing wrong with Mia, and you brought everything on yourself." Clarisse said coldly. She was afraid of what he would do next.

"Oh I did, did I? Well, I guess your right, since I wanted Nicholas to get the crown so I could have more power." Mabrey said plainly. Before Clarisse could say anything, he had taped her mouth shut. Clarisse went to hit him, but someone came up beside him and caught her arm. The man turned her around and was tying her hands behind her back as Mabrey said "Thanks Doug, I owe you one."

"Hey, I need excitement like this once in a while. Ever since that old gang of ours stopped thirty years ago because everyone else thought it was too childish." Doug said.

Mabrey turned back to Clarisse, who was crying by now. He grabbed her hair to force her to move closer to him. "Do everything we tell you, and don't try to do anything stupid." He said. Since Clarisse couldn't say anything, and had no option anyway, she nodded in agreement. He guided her to an old parking lot and opened the trunk of a car for her to get in. Her eyes widened at the thought of having to squeeze in to that tiny space. Let alone having to do it with her hands tied behind her back. She tried her best but it was no use. Doug and Arthur Mabrey had to do it for her. Then Doug and Arthur got into the front of the car, and Arthur put on a disguise. It looked horrible. He had a hard time looking different because of his beard, so he put on a fake white beard, sunglasses, and a big hat. Hopefully no one would notice him.

Clarisse heard the car start and drive away. Where it was headed, she had no idea. But right now all she could think about was how scared she was and how little air and space she had.

Joseph, Nicholas, Mia, Shades, and the security guards went to the bookstore. When they got there, they were disappointed. The store owner said that Clarisse had left about fifteen minutes ago. How were they ever going to find her now? Mia was so upset about her grandmother being missing. She kept blaming herself. "I shouldn't have came to pick out a wedding dress today. This wouldn't have happened." She kept saying. Joseph and Nicholas had to keep telling her it wasn't her fault. Joseph was having a hard time making Mia feel better though, because he was worried about Clarisse so much. If anything happened to her, he wouldn't know what to do.

They drove around for a long time, but Clarisse was nowhere to be seen. At one point there was a car that drove passed them. Nicholas thought he recognized one of the men, but not the other one. Joseph thought the same. The man they recognized look familiar, but Joseph had never seen him before. The man had a white beard and was wearing sunglasses and a hat.

After searching all night with no luck, they all went back to the palace. They also decided not to call the police since the police couldn't do any better than the palace's security. All calling the police would do, is get the press involved, which would make it even harder for Joseph and the others to find Clarisse.

That night Joseph went to bed without Clarisse, for the first time since their wedding. He lay wide awake, staring at Clarisse's side of the bed for a while. Oh how he longed to be able to hold her safely in his arms once again. He prayed that she was okay. He also thought about what he would do to Arthur Mabrey if he found him. There was no doubt that it was Arthur who was behind Clarisse's disappearance.

Clarisse, Arthur and Doug were at Doug and Arthur's old gang hideout. Clarisse was so used to the palace that this place was a nightmare. It was so messy and filthy. She was put in a locked room with no windows so she couldn't get away. She still didn't know what they wanted with her, but she guessed she would have to wait until tomorrow to find out. Then she thought about Joseph. She wondered how he was handling her disappearance. If he had come looking for her. If he was having as much trouble sleeping as she was.

* * *

_I know I made the Viscount more evil than he is, but hey, it's fanfiction. And I really hate him so I made him mean._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Clarisse woke up and was sort of shocked to see the dreadful looking room she was in. She had expected to wake up in a nice warm bed, to the sound of birds chirping and the sun shining brightly outside. She also expected to see Joseph lying next to her, holding her close as he slept. But when she turned onto her side this morning, all she saw was a grey wall. "Oh no, that nightmare was real?!" She thought to herself. She tried to get up, but her back hurt so much from the horrible mattress she spent the night on. She also realized that her hands were still tied behind her back. "Why are they keeping me here? It's not like I'm any use to them." Just then Arthur came into the room and closed the door. "Uh oh." Clarisse thought. She sat down on the bed. "Why are you keeping me here?" Clarisse asked.

"I just came in to tell you that if you try escaping, you'll regret it, and that you must do everything we tell you, or you'll never see Joseph, Mia, and all of your employees again." Arthur said, never bothering to answer her question.

Clarisse just looked at him in bewilderment. Was he serious? And surely someone would find her sooner or later…right?

"You see, if anything goes wrong, you, Doug and I are taking a secret plane to Australia. There, Doug and I have a small hideaway, and no one knows who the queen of Genovia is. Or should I say former Queen?"

Clarisse just sat there in silence. Right now all she could think about was the thought of never seeing her family again. Especially Joseph. They had been apart for so many years, and now when they were finally allowed to be together, they get pulled apart by the Viscount. Clarisse looked down. A tear slid down her cheek.

The Viscount cleared his throat. "Well, I just wanted you to know that." Arthur said. As he was about to leave, he turned around and said "Breakfast is ready in the other room." He held open the door for her. Clarisse had no intention of eating with the two of them, so she just looked away. Arthur closed the door and walked right up to Clarisse. She didn't look at him. So he turned her head to face him, a little more forceful than necessary. "Listen, you'll do everything we say. Got that?" He yelled. Clarisse tried to look away. He was right in front of her face, and had horrible breath, but he held her head firmly. She was afraid to say anything, but he was hurting her. She was getting a really bad headache from his grip.

Finally she managed to say "Yes." And he stepped back.

"Now, get up and join us for breakfast." He growled.

"And how am I supposed to do that with my hands tied behind my back?" She asked.

He almost burst into another rage, but stayed calm and untied her wrists.

The breakfast was horrible compared to the palace's gourmet food. All they had at the old hideout was some cereal. Clarisse managed to eat it though, just so Arthur wouldn't have another reason to get mad at her.

* * *

Joseph woke up and went downstairs to the kitchen. When he entered he found Mia sitting at the table and picking at a large plate of delicious looking food. But it didn't look like she had eaten any of it. When Joseph came in, she looked up at him. She had never seen him look so tired and upset. But she felt the exact same way. 

"Do you think Grandma's alright Joe?" Mia said quietly.

"All we can do is hope. I am not sure of anything right now. But one thing I do know is that Nicholas's uncle is behind it." Joseph answered.

"Ever since I met him, he's done nothing but ruin our lives." Mia said angrily. There was a long silence before Mia continued. "I can't have my wedding without Grandma. We need to postpone it... I need her!" Mia said, and started to cry. Joseph said he would tell Charlotte to call the wedding off so Mia wouldn't have to, and then hugged Mia to try to make her feel better. But then he started to cry too, which was the first time in years. "I miss her too." He said.

It had only been a few hours before the whole Country found out about the kidnapping. Although no one could figure out how. It must have been the maids. But the press was going wild and wouldn't leave the palace alone. Which made it hard for Joseph and the security guards to find information on Clarisse's whereabouts.

A day had gone by with no luck. But then suddenly there was a call for Joseph.

"My name is John and I used to be in a gang with Arthur Mabrey. I left it because he was getting way out of hand with everything we did. I won't go into detail. But anyways, we had a little hideout that we stayed in if the police were after us. Maybe they are there?"

Joseph didn't know whether to believe this man or not, but he thought it was worth a try.

"Can you show me where this place is?" He asked eagerly.

"I don't dare get involved with things like this anymore. But I can give you directions."

Joseph listened carefully and wrote down everything. Then later he gave the notes to Shades. Shades shared it with a few bodyguards. They got ready and left. Mia wanted to come with them, but Joseph and Nicholas wouldn't let her. So Nicholas stayed at the palace with her, along with Charlotte.

Joseph and the security guards eventually found there way to the old hideout.

"It seems too easy doesn't it? What if that guy made it up?" Joseph asked.

"Well first of all, the guy said he wasn't sure, but it might help us. So let's just try it out." Shades said.

"Anything to get Clarisse back." Joseph said quietly.

After about a minute, they realized that they had found the right place. Joseph could swear he heard Clarisse's voice. But she didn't sound happy. She was screaming! And then, all of a sudden, the screaming stopped. "Oh my god. We have to find a way to get in there!" Joseph said. The guards started looking for a way in.

* * *

After breakfast, Clarisse had kept getting more and more depressed, and angrier at Arthur. She complained non-stop. She was also getting on Arthur's last nerves. 

"If you don't shut-up in the next minute you'll be sorry!" He screamed at her.

"Oh and what are you going to do hmm?" Clarisse knew she would regret this, but she couldn't hold it in anymore. "You've done nothing but sit around all day! I bet there is no plane is there? I'm sure I would have crossed the line already and we'd be on it!"

"I am giving you more chances to stop, so we won't have to go to Australia!" He shouted.

She kept on yelling at him until finally he slapped her across the face. "I'm warning you now. Please, shut. up." He said as he gritted his teeth.

Clarisse looked at him angrily as she raised her hand up to feel where he had hit her. He hit her pretty hard, but she wasn't giving up yet.

"Make me." She said finally.

Just then Doug came in to help Arthur.

Clarisse started yelling again, and Arthur knew that someone was bound to hear her from outside.

"Doug," Arthur yelled over Clarisse's shouting. "Hold her down, I'll be right back."

Clarisse tried to get away as Doug held her against the nearest wall.

"Maybe shouting wasn't the best idea in the world…" Clarisse thought to herself. She kept trying to get away from the man's strong grip but he was much stronger than she was, so she was stuck against the wall. At that moment Arthur came in with a gag and a rope.

"Oh not again!" Clarisse thought to herself when she saw the items. Once again she couldn't speak, and couldn't use her arms. "Great." She thought.

"Finally, some peace and quiet." Arthur said, and he sat down on the old, dirty couch across from Clarisse. He got out a newspaper and started to read it.

Clarisse jumped when she heard a loud bang. She looked around to see where it was coming from, but didn't see anything. Arthur and Doug looked around too. So obviously it wasn't them. They heard the bang again.

"What the hell is that?" Arthur said as he got off the couch. All three of them realised very quickly that it was coming from the door.

"Maybe it is the police!" Clarisse thought hopefully. But then when the door finally flew open, she felt like all her worries had gone away. Atleast for a split second they did. It wasn't the police. It was Joseph! She smiled as wide as she could with that gag in her mouth. She would finally be able to go home.

* * *

"Damn door! Open!" Joseph thought to himself. "What happened to all those bodyguard skills?" 

Shades and the others were waiting around the block. For backup. Because Joseph insisted they should.

Finally, he got the door the open and the first thing he saw was Clarisse. A huge rush of relief went through him. He had found her at last. Now all he had to do was get past Arthur Mabrey. Which shouldn't be hard since he used to be the "Queen's head of security".

He walked up to Arthur, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Arthur pull out a gun and point it straight at Clarisse. He didn't know what to do. "If he hurts her I swear I'll kill him." Joseph thought to himself.

Clarisse tensed and looked away when she saw Arthur point the gun at her. She was just waiting for the gun to go off, but it never did. So she looked back to see what happened. Arthur was still pointing it at her.

"Don't take another step." Arthur warned. "Or say goodbye to your wife."

* * *

_I had a really hard time with this chapter, and the next one after this one...which isn't finished yet. Tell me what you think about it!! 3 Please review!!_


	5. Chapter 5

_I know I took a really long time to update, and I'm sorry! But it's here now, so enjoy! Hope you like it._

* * *

Chapter Five 

Joseph's heart skipped a beat when the man before him aimed the old pistol at Clarisse.

Arthur turned his head to Joseph. "Give up the fight, or….." He cocked the gun with a deathly sound, the threat hanging over the silent room.

Joseph's pulse was racing. He looked to Clarisse, sensing her frantic message to him, seeing it written in her lovely eyes. _"Not_ _for me, Joseph."_ He could hear her saying it, begging him to save himself. He knew what he had to do. Wordlessly, he held his hands out in front of him in silent surrender.

Arthur motioned for Doug to tie Joseph's wrists. Then Arthur checked Joseph for any weapons or communications. He found a walkie-talkie and a gun, and took them both.

Joseph hung his head and looked at the floor. _"What kind of bodyguard am I?"_ He thought sadly. The one thing he cared about most was in danger, and he couldn't help her.

Clarisse's heart went out to him. She had never seen him this way before. He always seemed to be able to fight back. Except for now.

Arthur still didn't lower his gun, but instead, turned it towards Joseph.

Joseph looked up at the gun, and heard Clarisse gasp slightly.

"You are going to leave, and not tell anyone where Clarisse is, or we're leaving to go where no one can find us."

Joseph thought as quickly as he could. _"I can't just leave her here. Not with this horrible man. And he is NOT taking her anywhere. I won't allow it." _"I am not leaving without Clarisse." Joseph said finally, but he didn't move because Arthur's gun was still facing him.

"All right, suit yourself." Arthur said and he cocked the gun.

"No!" Clarisse tried to yell and she jumped off the couch. She forgot that she had the old, dirty gag in her mouth.

"I've had enough of this." Joseph thought when he heard Clarisse's cry of fear. "I can't fail on her." At that moment he kicked into his bodyguard mode. He used his strong muscles to break the old rag around his wrists. Which seemed quite thin and weak to him.

He turned to the side of Arthur, knocked the gun out of his hand and pushed him to the wall, which made Arthur fall to the floor. Before Arthur could regain his strength and get up, Joseph got Arthur's gun, put it in his pocket, and managed to knock out an oddly terrified Doug.

Clarisse watched him lovingly through the tears in her brilliant blue eyes. Joseph pointed the gun at Arthur warning to keep away, and he walked quickly over to Clarisse. He put the gun on the side table, held her shoulders gently, and sat down on the couch with her. He could feel she was shaking.

He removed the bandana used as the gag in her mouth, and untied the hay coloured rope around her wrists. As soon as she was free, Clarisse flung her arms around him.

"Oh Joseph!" She cried through the tears that were now streaming down her face. "I'm so glad you're here!"

He held her tight as she leaned her head against his shoulder. _"She looks really tired."_ He thought to himself.

"Clarisse, are you okay?" He asked.

"Yes…" She said, and looked up at him. "I have been miserable all day though, and my face and arms are a little sore." She looked at her wrists. They were still burning from the rope, and had the markings from it.

He lifted her chin up lightly, and his mouth fell open when he saw the crimson bruise on her cheek, boiling hot anger rose inside him. Swallowing hard, he caressed her cheek ever so gently. She inhaled softly, her eyes watching him closely as he calmly walked up to the Viscount. Arthur looked at him warily. Joseph's voice was no more than a low growl. He said, "I warned you not to hurt my girl." Clarisse gasped as he raised a tightly clenched fist and hurled it at the Viscount with all of his might, sending him stumbling backwards a few steps.

Panting, Arthur pulled himself back into a comfortable position. He brought his hand to his throbbing eye, where Joseph's hand had collided with him.

"She's hardly a girl, Romerro." he spat the words distastefully. Clarisse shuddered at the bitter words spoken by the vile man. Her eyes widening as he swung his fist towards her husband.

Skilfully, Joseph caught and blocked Arthur's hand with his arm, though not without being sent back a couple steps. Clarisse sighed out of utter relief, realizing he wasn't too badly injured as he took another couple hits against the Viscount.

Clarisse then remembered Doug, who was lying stiffly on the floor across the room. She quickly walked over to him and got Joseph's walkie-talkie and gun. To her it felt strange to hold a gun, since she never had before.

After a few seconds she found the talk button on the walkie-talkie, and summoned for help. What she didn't realise was that Doug had gotten up and was standing right behind her. He grabbed her wrist and started pulling her into the garage to start the car.

Clarisse gasped. She started screaming and trying to get away.

As soon as Joseph heard Clarisse scream, his blood ran cold. He looked over at Clarisse just in time to see Doug slap her hard on her face, in the same spot where Arthur had given her the bruise, to try to make her stop screaming. Clarisse was stunned, and fell backwards in pain.

Joseph punched Arthur one last time with such anger, that Arthur got knocked out. Then quickly, he ran over to Doug. "If you ever touch her again, I'll kill you." And with that, he punched him with all his might.

At that moment, Shades and the other guards came in. Shades looked at the scene before him. "I guess you didn't need us." He joked, to break the tension in the air.

Joseph half smiled. Now, he had both Arthur and Doug knocked out on the floor. But they weren't the only ones on the ground.

"Clarisse!" He ran over to her, but he couldn't kneel down to help her up because of his knee replacement. So he stood in front of her and leaned down. "Clarisse? Can you hear me?" Joseph asked.

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_Well I am stopping here. Just trust me. And tell me what you think!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Well, this is the last chapter! Thankyou to all those who reviewed in the other chapters!_

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**Chapter Six**

"Clarisse, can you hear me?" Joseph asked.

Clarisse opened her eyes. "Yes darling." She whispered.

"Oh thank goodness!" Joseph breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can you get up?" He asked. Praying she hadn't been badly hurt, although her already large bruise was looking horribly painful, and bigger and darker than before.

"Yes, I think so." She said, and Joseph reached out his hand to help her up.

When she was finally standing, Joseph could see the pain in her eyes. He lifted his hand to her cheek, but quickly drew it back when she flinched at his touch.

It killed him to see her in pain. So he brought her over to the couch and kissed her passionately, and as gently as he could.

Clarisse kissed him back. In his arms, all the pain and fear she was feeling seemed to disappear. All she could think about was being with Joseph again.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you yesterday." Joseph said as he put his arm around her.

Clarisse leaned in to him. "It isn't your fault. It's mine, for not letting you come with Mia and I when you wanted too." She said quietly.

Clarisse inhaled sharply, remembering her granddaughter. "Mia! How is she? Where is she? Is she okay?"

Joseph took her shaking hands in his own. "She's fine, darling. She's at the palace, worried sick." Tenderly, he brushed a lock of her silky, golden hair behind her ear.

"About me?" Clarisse asked, concerned. She didn't like to think of the poor girl worrying for her sake.

Joseph nodded. "Yes, she's been crying, almost all night. She'll be so happy to know you're safe."

"Oh dear. Poor Mia. I can't wait to see her." Clarisse said.

She looked at Joseph. She was finally free of the nightmare. "Joseph?" She asked.

"Yes my love?" He asked back.

"Take me home."

"Of course." He said, and escorted her back to the limo. On the way out they saw Arthur and Doug being put in a police car. Joseph felt Clarisse shake slightly as she watched them, so he held her tighter.

Once they were inside the limo, Clarisse kissed Joseph and hugged him. She laid her head on his chest sleepily. He held her closely, and she fell asleep in his arms for about a minute, before they arrived at the palace. When she entered the palace, the first thing she saw was Mia running down the stairs as fast as she could. Followed by Charlotte, Lily, and Nicholas. Clarisse opened her arms and caught Mia in a long hug.

"Oh grandma I missed you so much! Thank goodness you're okay!" The new queen cried.

"Oh Mia, dear, I missed you too. And I'm fine, really." Clarisse said.

Mia looked at the extremely noticeable bruise on her grandmother's face. "Oh my god! What happened? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Well, I was hit a few times…but I'm fine now." She couldn't help but see Nicholas blush in embarrassment.

"I apologize for my uncle's cruel behaviour. I don't know what he was thinking!" Nicholas said angrily. "How I wish I could get my hands on him!"

"Now Nicholas, I wouldn't get involved if I were you. Leave it alone and you'll be fine." Joseph said calmly. "And don't worry. Your uncle is taken care of. He is being sent to a prison in a different country. A very strict one if I might add. It will be far worse punishment than what either of us could do."

Nicholas nodded in agreement.

Clarisse looked over at Charlotte, who had been quiet the whole time. She was beaming through tears.

"Hello Charlotte." Clarisse said smiling.

"Your majesty," Charlotte said. "I'm so glad you're alright.

Clarisse walked over and hugged her. Charlotte hugged her back. _"I missed you…Clarisse."_ Charlotte whispered. _"I missed you too Charlotte."_ Clarisse whispered back.

Then she stepped back, and walked over to Joseph. She leaned against him, feeling so tired that she couldn't hold herself up any longer.

"I think I'll take her upstairs." Joseph said to the others. They nodded and went back to what they were doing.

Joseph helped her up the stairs to their suite, which seemed to take forever. When they finally got to the suite, Clarisse had a quick, hot bath to help relax, while Joseph had the lady's maids bring up some tea and medicines to help her cheek.

They lay down on the bed and Joseph gently put the medicine her cheek.

Clarisse held back from yelling in pain, but couldn't help but flinch. She squeezed Joseph's arm as hard as she could. Finally the stinging went away, and her cheek felt a little better.

Joseph kissed Clarisse before putting the medicines on the table beside the bed, and then lay down closely beside her. He wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, pulling her closer.

Clarisse closed her eyes and sighed. Silently she snuggled closer to him, and felt so relaxed for the first time since the "incident".

"I'm so lucky to have you as my husband, for someone who loves me as much as I know you do. And that you are always going to be there to protect me."

"I'm lucky to have you as my wife!" Joseph said. "I never thought I would get this lucky. I must have done something good."

Clarisse smiled at that. He always knew just what to say.

"And don't you worry." He continued. "I will **always **be there to protect you."

"I love you" Clarisse said in an almost whisper.

"I love you too."

Within seconds, Clarisse had fallen into a deep sleep in Joseph's arms. She was home at last.

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_I hope you enjoyed this fanfic! It's my first one. Please review!!_


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